Mysterious Messages
by someoneintheshadow456
Summary: Mint Eye – a paradise, a peaceful and blissful sanctuary in the troubled world we live in. To spread their noble goals further, they must gain the help of and settle an old score with former allies. And so begins a game of cat and mouse between former childhood friends.
1. Prologue

**Mysterious Messages:**

 _Mint Eye – a paradise, a peaceful and blissful sanctuary in the troubled world we live in. To spread their noble goals further, they must gain the help of and settle an old score with former allies. And so begins a game of cat and mouse between former childhood friends._

"…he's turned on us, Brother. You'd have to be blind to not see it."

The man in green and blue frowned as he remembered their last conversation with their superior. His colleague next to him had a morbid grin on his face as he scanned his laptop while listening to the conversation.

"He's been up to suspicious activity lately but you can't make a judgement yet. We have to keep checking on him."

"Do you think he'll…"

"No. He's too much of a softie to break it to them. As far as secrecy is concerned, we have nothing to worry about."

His colleague was clearly being too flippant about the possibility of a betrayal within their ranks. It worried him, and he had to address it. He was also tempted to reach for a light, he couldn't stand this dark room. Sometimes he didn't know why he was here. The place was oversaturated with emerald greens, deep blues, and that eye was painted on every wall, in every room. It gave him the creeps. The décor of this place was immaterial though, compared to what they were doing.

"But Saviour…"

"Our Saviour says lie low for now,but with the right funds and the right connections…"

His colleague had typed a URL into the browser, and it was a website for C&R International. He scrolled through the About Us page, and found a photo of an elderly man in his 50's. He was partly bald, with grey hair surrounding the sides of his head, and wearing a suit. Next to him was a much younger man in his mid-twenties, his son. His dark brown hair was slightly tousled but not unkempt, and unlike the cheerful eyes of his father, this man's black eyes were serious and cold.

The man stared at the monitor and gasped, knowing exactly what his colleague was implying.

"Wait, is that… oh my god you can't be serious."

"Our Saviour wants us to be world famous, this is a good place to start."

He grabbed the laptop from his colleague's hands, and his colleague glared at him as the man scrolled through the website furiously.

"They're… they're one of the top ten richest corporations in this country. They're everywhere from hotels, to finance, to apparel to- no. No way in hell are they going to be hand in glove with us."

"True, not willingly. But under duress," his colleague took the laptop back from him and kept repeatedly pointing at the chairman's son, "Perhaps the odds will tilt more in our favour."

The man caught on to his colleague's meaning, though he said very little.

"So, you want us to use our trump card to get to him. And when we get to him, we have him eating out of our hands."

"Yes…"

"And then what? How the hell are we going to do that?"

His colleague typed in the URL for another website for a charity organization, and showed a group photo of its members where the same corporate director's son was present along with two more familiar faces. The man's eyes widened and he hit his forehead with his hand. Of course, how could he be so stupid?

"If there's any way to get to these guys, it's through _them._ We've already compiled a goldmine of information on these guys for the past two years. But we need more than that. We need them all here." His colleague grinned sleazily as he assessed the photo, staring at each of the members like a lion would a gazelle.

"Look at them… have you ever seen a more perfect batch? Funds and connections, another public figure to endorse us, a whiz kid who will dance to our every tune if we play our cards right, and two sycophants. Well three if you count… but well, even he's starting to outlive his usefulness. Still… a perfect batch indeed."

"Yes… but how are we going to bring them all here? They're not going to just raise their hands and bow down to us."

"I thought of that. We need to use a medium. Someone they know… someone they trust…"

"You mean a middleman."

"In this case, middle _woman_. I did some digging and found this."

He clicked on the My Computer icon and found his USB, and in it were several photos. He clicked on one of them, an elementary school graduation photo, and zoomed in on the second to last bench. He used the pen tool to circle two girls. One of them had blonde pigtails and green eyes, the other girl had tied her reddish-brown hair in a ponytail and had brown eyes. He recognized the blonde, but not the redhead.

Next, he brought up a photo of the same two girls in what appeared to be a kindergarten. The blonde-haired child was grinning from ear to ear holding a rabbit doll that had been mangled. The redhead was kneeling on the ground crying, obviously unaware that she was being photographed.

Then, a photo of the girls and three boys in front of what appeared to be their middle school. He recognized the red-haired boys. One red-haired boy was smiling and making a peace sign with his hand, the other sat on the ledge and shyly stared at the camera. The third boy had mousy brown hair and looked younger than his friends.

Finally, a more recent photo. A selfie taken at a café about four years ago. The redhead had changed her hairstyle around this time. She let it loose and curled it. He was there too, and appeared happy, a rarity these days. Both women and the man were holding cold coffee in their hands and smiling for the camera.

"She knows our Saviour better than any of us combined… even better than he does. Oh… and there's more. Take a look at THIS…"

He brought up the red-haired woman's resume and her LinkedIn account, with all her professional details therein. He also brought up a much older photo, taken in what appeared to be the early 90's. It was a family of four. He had circled the daughter, a high school girl with reddish brown hair and brown eyes, with a blue pen. He circled the son, a man in his mid-twenties with a similar appearance, with a red pen. He brought up two more photos separately. One was a family photo taken in 2004, with the daughter and her family… and her children were the red-haired girl and the younger brown-haired boy from earlier. The next was a photo of Sejun Choi, the latest Prime Minister candidate, and his face was circled in red pen.

"Wait… no way."

"Oh yes… so you know what this means, don't you? Two birds, one stone."

Indeed, it seemed too good to be true. However, there was one more problem. The red-haired girl was currently working in E&Y's marketing department. There seemed to be no incentive for her to leave her current job for C&R whatsoever. And as for joining the RFA? If they allowed a college boy in there… there was no way she'd even look twice at them.

"Forget it. The girl's overqualified. Think about it, if you were a businesswoman with a master's degree, would you want to quit to join the likes of these?"

"She might not have a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"The office she's working at… well, Brother Park works there as well. And I've devised a way to make sure she's leaving her old job whether she wants to or not."

His colleague showed him a computer program. Then, he showed him the Networks window, and saw an icon for a computer that wasn't there before. The man smiled widely, gleeful at the prospect of their plan coming into fruition.

"Oooh, I like the way you think…"

His colleague began bringing up more documents, blueprints, and he opened another lengthy, albeit unfinished program. He showed it to him, and he smiled even wider as he combed through the lines of code. He looked at his colleague, and they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

"Next we set up a few… mysterious circumstances that will lead her to them…"

"…and with her kind of qualifications…"

"…they'll have to welcome her in with the big fish…"

"…and she won't even realise…"

"…that all their secrets will go straight to us, through her."

"Let them have their fun, and then when they least expect it…"

"…we spring our trap on them, and make them believe it was all her doing."

Both men smirked at each other, one of them rubbed his hands together and rolled up his sleeves, and then picked up his cellphone to make an important call.

"…perfect."


	2. Roulette of Destiny

A stapler, a stationary box, a pencil holder, and a photo of herself and her brother. Those were all the things she had at her desk, so it didn't take long for her to solemnly gather them and put them in the cardboard box. The hardest part, she knew, would be the walk of shame outside.

Jihyeon had been working here for two years, she remembered trying so hard to balance both her work and her master's degree program. She admired Mrs. Seo greatly, she didn't want to disappoint her… but sadly she did. It took her all her willpower to not break down crying on the spot after she let her go.

She didn't even know what exactly happened or why. All she knew was she was called into Mrs. Seo's office only to find that the marketing budget for the past six months, which she was in charge of, had been sent to a rival company. She took great pains to have copies of it in a computer and a USB, she made sure to always log out of her workplace desktops after using them… how did her computer end up being breached then? She tried so hard to explain the situation to her, and while she didn't believe that Jihyeon could be guilty of corporate espionage, she had no evidence to the contrary.

" _You know, Miss Lee, I liked you. I really did. I don't want to think you could ever dare to jeopardize our company like this… but what's done is done. Here is your paycheque for what you've done thus far. You have an hour to collect your things. Farewell."_

" _Mrs. Seo… I…"_

" _Just leave. You've done enough. I've had enough disappointment for one day. Leave."_

Her pained, betrayed tone of voice back then just made her even sadder. She tried not to appear too upset, she knew the sadder she looked, the more likely her former colleagues would be to mock her. So, she had a steely face as she took the lift with her things and walked slowly out of the building. She removed her things from the cardboard box, and then packed them into her bag, then took one last look at her office before walking away. She was let out earlier than usual, so she had to take a different train today, and thus a different route.

She was lost in thoughts of her own bad luck when she saw it. It was a blur of blue. And before she knew it, her workbag was no longer safely hanging around her left arm. She spun around wildly and saw a man running off with her purse.

"Hey! Stop, thief!"

She made her way through the bustling crowds, shoving people with half-hearted apologies. The green-haired thief was expertly weaving his way through all those people. As she pursued him, she tried to guess his destination. If he made a left from here, he'd end up at a park. If he made a right, he'd end up at a bus stop. He turned left, and so she followed, holding out her hand pointing to him and trying all the while to draw attention to the crowd.

"Stop, thief!"

"Get back here! Give it back!"

However much she screamed, nobody paid heed to her, and sadly there were no policemen in sight. And just like that, she lost him. The thief was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

She failed in her duties, betrayed the boss who she admired so much, lost her job, and lost her purse; a purse with her driver's license, her RRN, her library card, her house keys, her credit card, loose change, a pocket knife, pepper spray, her phone, and her transportation card. Everything… everything she needed to make her livelihood was gone in the span of a few hours.

She thought of filing a police complaint, but she could hardly identify the thief. He had green hair, and wore a blue one-piece outfit with an emblem of an eye on the back. If he changed his clothes, she probably wouldn't recognise him. Despondent, out of a job, and out of luck, Jihyeon decided to tune out for a moment. If she thought too hard, it would make things worse.

There were so many people at this park. Couples on dates, children playing, and families getting together. She saw the ice cream man ringing the bell on his cart, and children swarming around him like wasps. She saw dog owners playing with their pets, and there she was, alone and with nothing. She found a nearby bench and took a seat. She slumped, staring fixatedly at her shoes, and buried her face in her hands.

Then she saw something white in the corner of her eye, and turned to her right. Her purse, seemingly untouched, was on the bench next to her. She grabbed it, and opened it, sure that it was of no use, and that her valuables were probably lost.

They weren't. Everything was still there, including her phone. The only thing the thief had taken from her was the loose change. She lost 7000 Won, but that was okay. The thief could have taken so much more from her. She sighed in relief as she looked up at the twilight sky, knowing that at least one bright spot was there on this horrible day.

She took the subway back to her apartment complex, made her way to the fifth floor, and opened the door. She saw that the plastic baby gate guarding the kitchen was kicked to the side, and that Miffy was busily chewing on one of the dining table's wooden legs. She recalled being in such a hurry that morning that she failed to close the gate properly. She sighed and picked the rabbit up, her grip tight as she kicked her hind legs in protest.

"Why did you go into the kitchen? You're not allowed in there. You have so much freedom, don't abuse it like this." She scolded as she locked Miffy into the cage near her room door and glared at her with her hands on her hips, "You've been a bad girl, so you have to stay in here tonight. And no carrots, you hear me? Don't come out until you thought about what you did."

She knew Miffy couldn't understand her, but almost immediately felt bad about being so harsh as the creature's ears were drooped and she was looking at her with almost pitiful eyes. She couldn't fall for it, however. She went to the countertop to prepare dinner for Miffy and herself. For Miffy, she finely chopped a cucumber and half a head of cabbage and placed it in her bowl. True to her word she did not add chopped carrots to the salad as she usually would have. For herself, she knew she had already a week's worth of food the night before, as it was a Monday. She filled a bowl with kimchi rice and sat down at the small dining table, eating as quickly as she could. Normally she would have taken the food to her room and sat down at her desk to eat while working. But alas, there was no more work for her to do anymore. It felt strangely empty eating in the dining room, and eerily silent.

It was only 7:00 in the evening, an hour earlier than when she would normally come home. She decided to use this extra time to clean the house. As there were only four rooms, it didn't take much time. When she finished, it was 9:30.

She had cleaned the house and fed Miffy. There was nothing more for her to do. She dragged herself to her bedroom, changed into an old t-shirt and pair of shorts, brushed her teeth, and collapsed into her bed. It was three hours earlier than her usual bedtime, but there was nothing she could do right now aside from lie in bed until sleep came to her. She rolled over on her back, buried her face in her pillow, and draped the blankets over herself.

Tomorrow, she knew what she'd have to do. She had to edit her CV and begin her hunt for a new job.

* * *

She woke up that morning to a ping from her phone which was charging on her bedside. When she checked it, she saw a text message from an unknown number.

 _Unknown: Hello?_

 _Unknown: Can you see this?_

She grumbled in annoyance but decided to give this person the benefit of the doubt. They may have been messaging the wrong number, or it could have been someone she knew who got a new phone.

 _Jihyeon Lee: Yes, who is this?_

 _Unknown: Oh thank God, I've finally connected. It's not every day you get a text from a stranger._

 _Unkonwn: I'm a bit flustered myself. I found this smartphone at a subway station and all it had was this strange new messenger app._

 _Unknown: But I didn't touch it because it looked official, so I'm using text instead. It doesn't have any call records, so I don't know who the owner could be…_

 _Unknown: The notes have an address and some important looking numbers though…_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Who is this?_

 _Unknown: That's not important._

 _Unknown: I'd like to solve this matter but I'm abroad. Maybe you can go to this address, please?_

Jihyeon felt her body grow cold. She didn't know how a stranger got her number in the first place, but she knew one thing for certain, she couldn't believe him for a second. She heard tales of women being accosted and stalked by strange men. However, she thought this only happened to loose women who partied and went to clubs. She didn't think it would ever happen to her.

She knew that the best way to protect herself was to not reply. So she blocked the number and deleted the conversation she had with this man. She had work to do that day. She needed to get ready, make breakfast for Miffy and herself, and get started on her job hunt. In her head, she had already listed down what she needed to change in her CV and the possible list of companies that she would like to work in. All she needed to do was run to her desk and start implementing it.

She couldn't think about anything else…

* * *

The next day, at around lunchtime, she received a new set of messages from another number.

 _Unknown: Here's the address, if you're wondering:_

 _Unknown: What's wrong? Were you busy?_

 _Unknown: Just take your time, but I need this help from you…_

She knew what she had to do. Block and delete. Then without missing a beat, she went back to her work. She scanned the Linkedin page of the company she sent her CV to last night. It was a small consulting agency about 45 minutes from her area. They wanted her to appear for a HR interview two days from now. She needed to be prepared and do her research if she wanted to land this job. To her side was her lunch, a small plate of gimbap and some barley water in a glass. She took three of them and stuffed them in her mouth at once as she read through her research.

Then her phone rang again, she checked the caller ID. She was relieved to know it was a familiar face, but was also dreading this moment. She knew she couldn't lie to him about this, but how could she tell him the truth? She took a deep breath and answered the call, tentatively pressing the phone to her ear.

"Sister, how are you doing?"

She knew that her little brother usually called her when he needed advice or if there was a problem in his life. And sure enough, there was sadness in his voice.

"Kyongju? What is it? Is everything okay?"

"Are you free now? What time does your lunch break end?"

He still thought she was working, good. So, she decided to play along with him.

"…I have time. Go ahead."

"Yoosung was mean to me yesterday."

She knew how sensitive Kyongju was. What was considered mean to him wouldn't have fazed her. But her brother was having a problem and needed her guidance. So, she listened to him.

"Oh no… what happened?"

"He made japchae for dinner… but he put carrots in it! He knows I hate carrots! I told him I was going to have ramen instead, and he got mad at me! He said I was rude! So, I slammed my room door on him! I'm not talking to him!"

This did not surprise her. She remembered how much of a picky eater he was. He used to cry if his side dishes touched the rice in his bowl. She even remembered him throwing a bowl of seaweed soup across the room. He never liked seaweed unless it was accompanied with rice. Any other person would have considered this behaviour horridly childish for a third-year college student, but Jihyeon knew how he was raised. Her parents, her mother in particular, treated Kyongju like a little emperor. He was given everything he ever wanted, with little to no punishment or consequences for his behaviour.

"You could have just taken the carrots out, you know."

"…oh."

"Kyongju, Yoosung is your roommate and best friend. He cooked something for the both of you and wanted to be appreciated for that. You don't know how to cook, and he doesn't have to do it for you, but he is."

"But he put carrots in it!"

"So? You should have not said anything, eaten what he made, and told him it was good. That's good manners and what friends should do. When you come back from your classes, tell Yoosung you're sorry. Offer to buy food for him to make up for what you did."

"…all right. I'll tell him I'm sorry. How's your work going?"

"It's going fine, thanks."

"Sister? Are you okay? You don't sound good."

A part of her was pleasantly surprised that he noticed this. Perhaps her brother was less immature than she thought.

"I'm fine, really."

"No, you're not. You're lying.

"I… you're right. I lied. Yesterday… I got fired. Someone sent the work I was doing to a rival company and… put the blame on me. And Mrs. Seo believed it. In two days, I'll have to attend an interview at a new company. I've spent the last two days hunting for work…"

"Oh no…"

"Sister, the bell just rang. I have to go to the next class now. I'll talk to you later, bye!"

* * *

The third day, it happened again.

 _Unknown: Are you going to do it then, find the owner for me?_

 _Unknown: Please reply…_

Block, delete. She made a mental note to file a complaint against this number if this happened again…

* * *

 _Unknown: Hey…_

 _Unknown: What's up?_

 _Unknown: Why have you been deleting my texts always?_

Jihyeon grew increasingly frightened, and she didn't have time for this. She ignored this strange creeper, grabbed her work bag, and walked out of her flat. She had to take the subway so she could attend her job interview.

 _Unknown: Please, help me find the smartphone's owner…_

 _Unknown: Come on…_

She made a mental note to block that godforsaken number when she got back. But then she remembered that wouldn't do any good. This guy appeared to be using a different number each time. Who the hell was he? Why was he so persistent?

 _Unknown: Here's the address. If you think something is shady you can go back home._

 _Unknown: You're scared of me or what?_

 _Unknown: Don't you what they say, you'll get a treat if you listen to older men?_

She felt chills run down her spine as she saw that last line. Anyone who talked like that probably meant bad news. She blinked a few times, the whole situation seemed surreal to her. It wouldn't look out of place in a typical Detective Conan episode. She had to ignore him. She scanned her subway card on the machine, waited for the train in question, and boarded it. All the seats were occupied, but it was alright. She was perfectly fine with standing.

All of a sudden, she got a call. She jumped, hands trembling as she picked up her phone. Then she sighed in relief. It was only Kyongju.

"Hey. How are you doing?"

"Sister, I just called you to wish you luck for today! Seriously, E&Y shouldn't have fired you. They should have checked your computer for a virus instead of blaming the whole thing on you!"

"Aww, thanks. So, how are things with Yoosung?"

"I did what you said. I apologised and I bought some ramen for him. He seems okay now."

"Good. How's college?"

"Oh God, Sister. Why ask such questions?"

"Let me guess, your midterm results came and you got less marks."

"Yoosung got even less than me!"

"Yoosung is a pre-med student, you're doing accounting and finance. How can you compare yourself with him? Besides, you both used to be good boys in school. Now what happened? Yoosung, I can understand considering…"

She trailed off. She knew that they both knew what event she was referring to. They received the news last year thanks to a Facebook post from Jihyun, her senior in college. They both offered their condolences and shared the good memories they had together, but there was still a noticeable void in their hearts afterwards. Jihyeon wondered if Yoosung should open up to Kyongju about his grief over his cousin's death, but wasn't sure how Kyongju would react to such a serious conversation.

"But you? What is this? Ever since you became roommates you got the same bad habits, playing games late into the night and eating junk… if Yoosung Kim told you to jump off a cliff would you do it?"

"Sister… please stop. You sound like a teacher."

"Mom and Dad spoiled you too much…"

"Hey, it's not my fault you're the good and studious child…"

The train came to a halt, interrupting her thoughts. She looked around to see if this was her next stop. It wasn't, there was one more to go. So, she stood there in her place, her hand gripping the handlebar.

"Speaking of which, how are they?"

"Fine as ever. Hey! I have some good news!"

"What is it?"

"You remember Ahn Uncle, from dad's work? Well, mom and dad met with his family and they really want you to meet their son tomorrow at that new fancy restaurant that opened last month. I don't remember the address, I'll ask Mom and send it to you."

Jihyeon didn't know how to feel upon hearing this. There was only one reason why a girl's parents would suddenly want her to meet a boy and his family in a public setting.

"Their son…? Wait… you don't mean…"

"Yeah! Exactly! You're getting engaged! They're a great match for you, I'm sure. Mom says you're getting too old and she doesn't want you going out and working in some company. I can understand that. I mean, isn't that what women want, to have a husband to take care of them and never work again?"

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of hurt at his words. She didn't know half the things her parents told Kyongju, but it sounded plausible that her mom would say something like that. She doubted he even realised how inconsiderate and dare she say it, sexist he sounded.

To top it off, the idea of an arranged marriage sounded peculiar to Jihyeon. It wasn't so much the arranged aspect. Arranged marriages were still being practiced these days, just less frequently than in the past. It was the idea of marriage in general that confused her. She couldn't picture herself being someone's wife. The concept felt alien to her. And if he wanted her to leave the workforce after marrying him… it would crush her.

No. She couldn't think like that. She felt she needed to have an open mind. Who knew? Ahn Uncle's son could be a good man. Besides, in this day and age, it was hard to find a woman who wanted to marry by 20 and be solely a housewife. Therefore, it was likely that the men who had such an expectation were few and far in between.

Then, she heard it again. The dreaded ping of her text message tone. And again, and again. And she remembered…

"Kyongju… something's going on, but I don't know what."

The train stopped again, and it was her stop. She got down onto the platform and continued to talk to Kyongju as she exited the subway station and made her way to her job interview.

"Sister…? You sound really scared…"

She weaved her way through the hustle and bustle of people, clinging to her purse as though it were a lifeline. Her eyes kept scanning her surroundings as she told her brother of the situation.

"Last week… a thief tried to steal my purse but he failed and left it on a park bench. Since then… I've been getting disturbing texts all from the same guy. I block the number, and he gets a new one…"

"Oh no… did you go to a bar or visit a club? Mom says that you can find all sorts of creeps in those places. You shouldn't go there. She says only indecent girls go there…" She knew her mom would say that as well, in fact, her mom would most likely blame her for what happened.

"No. I don't frequent such places. I don't know what he wants… I'm scared, but I have to take this interview. I need this job…"

For a minute, she wasn't sure where to go. Should she go right or left? Then she saw the parfait place to her left, and remembered that it was one of the landmarks. She turned left, walking briskly.

"Don't tell Mom and Dad, please. Now I have to go, bye."

"Bye! Good luck!"

As she opened Google Maps to verify if she was going the right way, she heard a ping again. And she got another notification. She checked her messages once more.

 _Unknown: Haha, of course you don't know, I made it up. Come on. Don't be scared of me…_

 _Unknown: I won't hurt you…_

 _Unknown: Why do you want to avoid me? Something important you need to take care of?_

 _Unknown: You don't need to take that job. I can offer you something better…_

 _Unknown: Jihyeon Lee._

She froze in her tracks. She knew there was no avoiding him. There was no other option but to reply.

 _Jihyeon Lee: …who are you?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: How do you know my name?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: How did you get this number?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: What is going on?!_

Indeed. Something was going on. It was bad enough that she was getting texts from this creeper for five days straight after… wait. Could it have been possible that the creeper who was texting her was the same guy who tried to steal her purse last week?

 _Jihyeon Lee: What do you want?! Do you want money?! You already took my money! Or do you want more? Tell me! Tell me how much you want and I'll give you! Just leave me alone!_

No answer. Wait… he said she didn't have to take 'that job.' He might have known where she was. He might have been following her that second. Her job had to wait. There was no point in risking her life over this.

She read an article about women's safety online. It said that if you felt you were being stalked, you should make three right turns to check if someone is following you, so she did just that. She kept looking behind her to look for any sudden movements. She clutched her purse tightly, remembering that she kept a knife and pepper spray in the main compartment for easy access in case of an emergency.

Then, just when she thought she was safe, she felt herself being pulled from behind and a hand on her mouth. A cloaked figure was grabbing her shoulder with one hand and her mouth with the other. She tried her best to scream, but her voice was muffled. She flailed her arms violently and tried to break free from the figure's grasp, but it was no use.

"Hold still… don't be afraid. Now come with me…"

She bit his hand and he thankfully let go of her as he yelped in pain. However, he grabbed her wrist before she could get away from him. It was then when she could properly observe him. He had blue hair, and wore a blue one-piece outfit with an insignia of an eye on the front and back. She remembered distinctly that the man who stole her purse wore the same outfit. They were obviously a part of some sort of street gang, but what would a group of thugs want with her?

"Let go of me! Get away from me, you bastard!"

She flailed about, but again, it was no use. His grip was too strong. He wasn't sneering or taunting her like street thugs usually did. His face was calm, and his eyes were cold.

"It's useless to struggle. Now come with me… I'll take you to Magenta."

"M-Magenta?!"

He began pulling her with him, forcing her to walk a few steps forward.

"Shh… I'll explain everything later. Now come with me… to paradise…"

In a fit of quick thinking, Jihyeon used her free hand to access the compartment in her purse with the pepper spray bottle. She pulled her hand forward, moving her kidnapper towards her, and sprayed him square in the eyes. She heard an ear-piercing scream as the astringent spray hit his eyes. He began furiously rubbing them to get the spray out, and she used this opportunity to run away from him.

"Help! Help! Kidnapping! Police! Help! Help!"

She didn't care where she was going, but ran as fast as she could, occasionally looking back to see if the man had caught up with her. As she ran, she noticed her phone kept ringing several times. She didn't care if it was her potential employer. She was on the run for her life right now.

When she stopped near a building to catch her breath, she got another message.

 _835320482: I can see you._

 _835320482: You're in Namdaemun district, in front of Sugar Round's main office._

Sure enough she looked up, and saw a sign that confirmed her location.

 _835320482: You can't escape me._

She almost shrieked as she saw a figure looming towards her, and began running again. It was while on the run for a second time when she received another message from a different number.

 _824840384: Pick up the phone, now._

 _824840384: If you want to get out of this alive, answer the phone now._

The phone began ringing again, and she answered it immediately. Anything to get out of this.

"No questions. No tricks. Listen to me. I'm here to help you. Now you have to trust me and do what I say unless you want to be one of the missing persons in the news tomorrow, deal?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now tell me where you are."

"Namdaemun district. There's a bus stop right in front of me and a supermarket to my left." She answered him without missing a beat. She wasn't even thinking about the consequences right now. All she wanted was to be safe.

"Okay… 30 minutes by walk to Seodaemun district. Not bad, but you need to hurry. I hope you can run fast."

"Where are you taking me?!"

"No. Questions. Just listen to me if you want to live. Now, make a left."

She sprinted left, doing as she was told, again looking behind her to see if the man was on her tail.

"You'll see a statue over there, go straight."

She saw a statue of a historical figure she couldn't identify in her disordered state. She made a beeline for the straight road in front of her.

"Good. Now right."

She turned right, her head throbbing and her body sweating in panic.

"Do you see Independence Park?"

She saw a signboard for the park in question, and a large crowd of tourists being led by a guide into the historical area.

"Yes, yes I see it!"

"Good, now you see a sign for Daehyeon neighbourhood? Go there. In the 5th cross street, you will see an apartment complex. You will enter the third flat on the thirteenth floor."

She ran, almost bumping into an old lady carrying some bags. She saw the apartment complex the caller told her about, and immediately entered. She almost slammed her fingers into the lift buttons, and to her relief, the doors opened almost immediately. Once she reached the 13th floor, she made it to the third flat. Unlike all the other doors, there was a keypad with letters on the door, and it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked! It's asking for a password!"

"Well, it's a good thing I happen to know the password, then. Just be a doll and input this for me, will you?"

He sent her a message in some strange language, it didn't look like any language at all to her, it looked like childish scribbles. She inputted the letters to the best of her ability, and the lock clicked open. She entered and slammed the door behind her. Her legs were shaking and her heart was in her throat.

"You're in?"

"…I'm in."

"Excellent. Now you're no longer in any danger. That thug won't come for you anymore. And all you have to do… is bide your time here for a while."

"Who are you?! Why did you save me?! What is this place?! What…?"

The mysterious caller hung up the phone. It was then when her parasympathetic nervous system kicked in. Her legs gave way and she slumped, hugging her knees and shaking. She began sobbing, her hair covering her face as she wept. When she felt calm enough, she decided to observe her surroundings.

It was a sparse apartment even smaller than her own. No, she couldn't call this place an apartment. It may as well have been a shoebox. There was a small kitchen island to her right, a bed, bedside table, and chest of drawers to her left, and a door to the bathroom and a large desk in front of her.

Suddenly she heard another ping, and a messenger app appeared on her phone. She didn't know what it was. She never remembered downloading something like that. So, she deleted it. But no matter how many times Jihyeon deleted it, it always managed to find its way back onto her phone. She had a feeling the app and this incident were connected, so she inspected it.

"…RFA Messenger?"

It appeared to be a messenger app for a private organization. Why would she have it, and how would she have access to such a thing? With trembling fingers, she opened the app, hoping it would answer all her questions.

The screen became glitchy, before opening to a chatroom of some sorts. At the top of the screen, it showed that her name was already registered, and present in the room, along with someone named 707, and a familiar face.

"Y-Yoosung?!"

What was her brother's roommate doing here, she wondered. Kyongju never mentioned any of this about him. And she was sure her brother would have told her if Yoosung was working somewhere.

She scrolled through the other names in the chat, her jaw dropped. Zen, the upcoming stage actor was here too. She knew of him in passing from news articles and TV segments about his musicals. And the other person, as well as the woman…

"That's… that's C&R's director's son… and his secretary."

Why would they be a part of some no name organization? What did they even do here? And… how did Yoosung get a chance to work with such high-profile people in the first place?

 _Yoosung Kim: I failed my midterms! FML!_

 _707: That's because you played LOLOL all night…_

Wait a minute… that 707 guy… she knew him. He looked just like… no. No, it couldn't have been. It had been years since she last saw Saeyoung or Saeran. It had to be a coincidence. Yet… the likeness was so uncanny that she couldn't help but stare at his profile picture intently.

 _Jumin Han: If you want to work for our company, you should take care of your GPA._

 _Jaehee Kang: Agreed, Yoosung. Please take your studies seriously hereafter._

 _Yoosung Kim: lol I'm still on the list?_

 _Jumin Han: Yes._

 _707: Nice work! I can't believe you get to work straight after college in THIS day and age!_

 _ZEN: Lame, it's called nepotism._

 _Jumin Han: No, it's actually recruitment._

 _ZEN: It's giving a free pass instead of training the worker._

Wait… what? And Yoosung was interning at C&R as well?! AND he apparently had a close relationship with the Han family? Why hadn't Kyongju told her this? It felt like she was the last one to know everything.

 _Jumin Han: Whatever. I could care less about what you say._

 _ZEN: What's the difference then, between recruitment and nepotism?_

 _707: I thought they're the same?_

 _Jumin Han: It's nepotism if you recruit them knowing they're of no use to you._

 _Yoosung Kim: Oh… I get it! So, you become a nepotism candidate when you're recruited!_

 _707: Wait!_

 _707: Guys… there's… something I want to talk to you about._

 _707: Leave the chat and come on WhatsApp right now._

 _707: Bye._

She had a strong feeling that they abruptly ended their conversation because they noticed her presence. This day was becoming stranger and stranger. Her brother's best friend, possibly one of her estranged cousins, AND three famous people… all working in the same organization, and she was brought to this by being nearly attacked by thugs? She almost wanted to faint from confusion.

She didn't know if she could leave the apartment. She didn't know what else to do at that point but bide her time, as that stranger told her to do. She was too terrified to do anything else but wait.

* * *

 _707: There was someone else in the chatroom just now, didn't you notice?! It could have been a hacker._

 _Jumin Han: Indeed. Luckily Luciel had the good sense to end the conversation when he realized we were being watched._

 _Jaehee Kang: How did they get access to the app? It's a private messenger. You need to be in the RFA to have access to it…_

 _707: I think I may need to change the security algorithm again. It gets worse…_

 _ZEN: What?_

 _707: I traced it. It's coming from Rika's apartment._

 _Jumin Han: Are you serious? That location is classified. How does the hacker know that address?_

 _Jaehee Kang: I'm getting scared right now…_

 _Yoosung Kim: Wait… guys. It's not a hacker. That person… I know her._

 _ZEN: Her…? A woman?_

 _Yoosung Kim: OMG Zen this isn't the time to be hyped…_

 _Yoosung Kim: Besides… that's Jihyeon Lee. She's my best friend's sister. I knew her since we were children._

 _707: Wait…_

 _707: Did you say… Jihyeon Lee?_

 _Yoosung Kim: Did you know her too, Seven?_

 _707: …nah. Must have mistaken her for someone else. There are probably dozens of women with that name._

 _Jumin Han: Which is why you should do a background check on her, to see if it is the same woman Yoosung knows._

 _Jumin Han: Also, that's a gender-neutral name. This Jihyeon could be a man as well. After all, that's also V's name. Speaking of which, one second. I'll call him. He'll know what to do about this._

 _V: Hey guys. I heard about what happened._

 _V: Luciel… did you make a note of which number the hacker used?_

 _707: Yeah, here it is:_

 _Yoosung: Once second. I'll check my phone to see if that's the one._

 _Yoosung: Guys… I was right. That really is Jihyeon's number._

 _V: …Jihyeon Lee, huh?_

 _Jumin Han: You knew her as well?_

 _V: She and Rika were my juniors in college. And Jihyeon and Rika were friends since childhood. They were like sisters._

 _Yoosung: Yeah, I remember. They were really close. Rika really trusted Jihyeon._

 _Jumin Han: Rika never mentioned her. This is the first time I'm ever hearing about this._

 _V: They lost contact about four years ago. I don't know all the details, but they had this fight and…_

 _Yoosung: Wait… Jihyeon and Rika broke off their years long friendship because of one fight?_

 _Yoosung: That makes no sense._

 _Yoosung: V… I think you're not telling the whole story._

 _V: Luciel, your background check isn't necessary. I'll call her. I don't know how she found Rika's apartment, but there has to be some reason why she's there. She can't be here by accident._

* * *

About half an hour later, her phone rang. She answered the call, ears attentive.

"Is this Jihyeon Lee?"

The voice sounded familiar, she heard it before… but where?

"Yes, this is she. Who is this?"

"It's… it's V. Remember…? From college?"

"J-Jihyun?!"

"Yes."

Why was Jihyun calling her out of the blue? They hadn't talked in years, not since the incident four years ago. And their only conversation since was the occasional Facebook chat. What did he want from her now?

"It's… it's been too long."

"How did you end up in Rika's apartment?"

She felt her heart jump. She hadn't heard that name in a long, long time. Then she felt as though there was an anchor in the pit of her stomach. She remembered, all those memories, and of course the incident…

Rika's apartment… how did these thugs know about Rika's apartment? How did Rika ever come to know these people? Or perhaps, was her information leaked after her death?

"…Rika's apartment?"

"Yes. How did you end up here?"

She explained to him the situation as her hands trembled. She told him about how she got fired, of the man who stole her purse, the thugs who attacked her, and the voice who led her to the apartment. It must have sounded crazy to V, and he probably wouldn't believe her. But surprisingly, it seemed he did.

"…I see. This is irregular."

There was silence on the other line for an indeterminable period of time, it seemed like Jihyun was pondering on everything she had said.

"You… you never knew about the RFA… did you?"

"No. Rika… never mentioned anything like this to me."

"I see. Don't touch anything there. All the information is classified. I'll pick you up. Don't move. I'm the only one who knows this address. And tomorrow… tomorrow you need to come to C&R International's office. You'll be meeting with Jumin and me to discuss your official membership here."

"What?"

"Under normal circumstances I would have probably reported you to the police. But… since I know you, and I know you knew Rika… I know you didn't mean any harm. I believe your story, as strange as it may seem. And… if you're seeking a job, you can join our organization. You can approach any one of us for work."

"But… but what exactly…"

"That I will explain to you tomorrow. I'll await your decision then."

"Okay."

So that solved her job problem, but now she had a bigger problem. She had to explain this to her brother. She had to get answers, answers to all those questions. And she had to come face to face with a part of her past she thought she had left behind for good.

"Jihyeon?"

"Yes?"

"You cared about Rika… didn't you? And all of us, in spite of everything?"

She knew what she had to say, what she had to feel. It was a reflexive, practiced response that came almost second nature to her.

"…of course. Of course, I did. Rika was my best friend… I loved her with all my heart. I was… heartbroken when I heard about her. Of course, I did…"

"That's… that's good to hear. Thank you."

When she was finally completely safe, in the back of Jihyun's car, she began to ponder how her life took such a drastic turn in such little time, and what this meant for her future plans.


	3. Mysterious Eyes

_Yoosung Kim: Jihyeon!_

 _Yoosung Kim: You're really joining the RFA?_

It had only been six hours since Jihyeon had suffered through one of the most harrowing ordeals in her 25 years of life. Just a week prior, she was just an unassuming young woman working in a corporate job. Now she was framed for espionage and a target for thugs, and had to work in an organisation along with two of the country's most famous people.

She was safe now, lying in her bed with Miffy on her lap as she texted Yoosung. However, her heart was still in her throat. A HR interview with a small consulting agency would have been child's play compared to a HR interview with Jumin Han. She often read about C&R International in the news and heard many stories. Just four years ago, Chairman Han's son began his training to take his father's position. She read that he wanted his son to start from the bottom and steadily work his way up the corporate ladder, as was the case with every worker.

Now, he was C&R's project director. And in the short time that he was in a leadership position, the horror stories already began to spread. Everybody could not stop talking about how cold and demanding he was. She heard how much of a slave driver he was and how he refused to allow his employees to take leave even on Sundays. She heard about how he justified his draconian management style by saying he paid his employees through his nose. One of the anonymous reviews she read even said that he was doubly ruthless towards his female employees. She was thankful she was at least only applying for the RFA, and hoped that Mr. Han would be less strict if she was only going to join a charity group.

 _Jihyeon Lee: I don't really have any other option. I lost my job… I'll kind of take anything at this point._

 _Jihyeon Lee: I googled you guys though. You're a charity group, right? But you haven't done anything in the past year after Rika died because she was the main event coordinator. You haven't been able to find another one since._

 _Yoosung Kim: Yeah, I know. It's been so empty after Rika died. It must have been hard for you too._

She couldn't help but feel pity for Yoosung. She knew that all said and done, Rika was his family. She often wondered how Rika and Yoosung interacted, and whether she took as much investment in her cousin as she did with her.

 _Jihyeon Lee: I sent my CV to Jihyun. He's going to go over it and send it to Mr. Han if he likes it. He also said he could help me find work at a company while I'm here. He said I might end up working at C &R if Mr. Han thinks I'm worthy to be there. _

_Yoosung Kim: Aren't you nervous? I mean, this is Jumin Han we're talking about._

 _Jihyeon Lee: Well, I heard stories._

 _Yoosung Kim: What sorts of stories?_

 _Jihyeon Lee That he's a callous and domineering person, that he has high standards and doesn't forgive any mistakes, and that he treats women who work under him horribly. Is that true? I hope they're just exaggerating…_

 _Yoosung Kim: Sadly no. All of it is true, especially the last one. One of his employees did an email mix-up. She realised what happened and sent apologies to Managers Kim and Jung, and they eventually got the emails they were supposed to get…_

 _Yoosung Kim: …but it didn't matter to Jumin that she corrected her mistake. He called her into the office and started verbally abusing her left and right. You know what kind of words he was using? Stuff like, "useless sack of trash", "daft bimbo", and "I may as well drag you by the hair and throw you out of here if you're going to keep this up." He went on like that for over an hour and she was crying for days._

Though Jihyeon had seen far worse in the past, her body instinctively began shaking with fear and her teeth began to chatter. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, and once again gazed at her phone screen.

 _Jihyeon Lee: …would he have done the same to a male employee?_

 _Yoosung Kim: I mean of course he would have called them out for it. But he would have been nowhere near as brutal._

 _Yoosung Kim: And poor Jaehee. She never gets holidays, and he just piles unnecessary cat projects on her head. If he didn't keep asking for those stupid projects, she would actually have a reasonable amount of work. And she bites her teeth and does everything all for a paycheque._

She knew about the cat projects as well, thanks to the anonymous reviews and horror stories. Though she understood the concept of caring about your pets, she didn't like the idea of Mr. Han using the company workers for his own whims and fancies. But she held her tongue. If she played her cards right, she would be working in his company. And she couldn't say anything negative about him, even if he wasn't around to hear it. And especially knowing that one screw up would mean hours of harsh words thrown in her direction.

 _Jihyeon Lee: Jaehee Kang is his assistant, right? The curvy woman with short hair._

 _Yoosung Kim: Yeah. And you want to know why she has short hair? Jumin made her cut it because he didn't want his dad to come onto her._

 _Jihyeon Lee: So, it's true then, that Chairman Han is a womanizer? I don't pay that much attention to celebrity gossip._

 _Yoosung Kim: He has a new girlfriend like, every three years. And they're often gold diggers._

 _Jihyeon Lee: How did you even manage to get to know Mr. Han on a personal level?_

 _Yoosung Kim: Rika knew him! She didn't tell you? V and Jumin were childhood friends._

Seeds of a thought were planted in Jihyeon's mind. A thought about how there were many things about Rika she didn't know. She knew if she continued to think about it, she'd spiral downward, and remember all the lies, all the deceit-

No. How could she think such a way about her dear childhood friend, and one who had recently passed away? Rika had her own reasons for that. Everyone had their secrets, Jihyeon was no exception. Of course, Rika didn't have to tell her. But it was surprising that V never mentioned him either. Was he only being modest?

 _Jihyeon Lee: V mentioned in passing about having a childhood friend… but he never told me who it was. I think he was just trying to be modest. Rika never talked about him either also._

 _Yoosung Kim: Jihyeon… V said you and Rika stopped talking to each other after you got into a fight. I think he's lying though. He's being really secretive these days and he cut off contact with you as well._

 _Yoosung Kim: So… why did you really break off your friendship with Rika?_

She knew what she had to say. The same reflexive, practiced response. The same thing she told herself every morning, every night.

 _Jihyeon Lee: I loved Rika dearly, but we had our differences. We didn't exactly have a fight… but she had a different vision of her future than me. I wanted a desk job at a reputed company, Rika wanted to do other things…_

 _Jihyeon Lee: I'm guessing the RFA was one of those things. She always seemed like a non-conformist. She used to say I was selling out my soul and 'becoming a corporate drone.'_

 _Yoosung Kim: Yes, that sounds like Rika…_

Jihyeon never outright made up stories. She knew that people would be able to find holes in falsehoods, and that she could never make complete fabrication convincing. Instead, she would excise the unsavoury elements of what really happened, and only talk about what was either positive or non-offensive. The best part about this practice, what she liked to call 'half lying', was that she could do it without an ounce of guilt. She wasn't lying, she was only telling people what they wanted to hear.

 _Jihyeon Lee: How's Kyongju? I heard you both scored less marks in your midterms. Go over your papers and see what you did wrong, and redo the wrong questions correctly, that way you will learn from your mistakes._

 _Yoosung Kim: AHHH! I don't even want to see my paper! I trashed it… and Kyongju, I don't even know where he keeps his papers, his bag is so disorganised._

 _Jihyeon Lee: He didn't clean his bag yet? He told me he'd do it yesterday!_

 _Yoosung Kim: He was playing Fantasy Football, and he would have kept playing if I hadn't reminded him he needed to study for his midterm. At least I crammed a little, Kyongju didn't study at all._

 _Yoosung Kim: He's more irresponsible than me…I have to take care of him half the time._

 _Jihyeon Lee: Is he really that bad? The japchae fiasco was one of his bad days, I know that much. This is his first time living without Mom and Dad, so we have to expect some adjustment problems…_

 _Yoosung Kim: You want to know how bad he is?! Oh, I'll tell you how bad he is! And the japchae incident wasn't just one time, in fact, that was one of his BETTER days._

 _Yoosung Kim: He doesn't know how to boil water. He wears Velcro shoes because he can't tie laces. He needs to be reminded to brush his teeth. He doesn't know how to fold or iron clothes. AND he doesn't know how to pack his bag._

 _Yoosung Kim: He sometimes cries in the middle of the night because he's scared of the dark. He almost broke his laptop because it was lagging. He doesn't even know how to take the bus himself! I had to teach him how to scan his bus pass! I have to hold his hand when we cross the street…_

Jihyeon frowned. It seemed the fruits of her mother's smothering were being reaped now. She remembered that he used to sleep with a night light until he was as old as fourteen. She also recalled his broken belongings being replaced almost immediately. Sometimes, when Kyongju was very young, he used to break his toys on purpose just to see if his mother would buy him a new one. She would, every time, and never scold him for taking advantage of this.

 _Jihyeon Lee: …oh. Bad._

 _Jihyeon Lee: Well, Mom used to pack his schoolbag for him and wouldn't allow him to wear shoelaces because "he might trip." And she used to make me take him to school and everywhere else. She didn't approve of him taking public transportation. When I went to college, she used to walk him to school._

 _Yoosung Kim: He's so spoiled… when I look at him I feel better even though it's cruel to say._

 _Jihyeon Lee: Please be kind to him. He's still your friend and my brother. Does he know about the RFA by the way?_

 _Yoosung Kim: He knows I'm working for 'some charity club,' but I never told him much. You wanna talk to him? I'll call him._

 _Jihyeon Lee: Okay, sure._

In the meantime, while Yoosung was probably telling her brother to contact her, she decided to get some more work done. She had her dinner, again, the same old kimchi rice which she prepared well in advance. Then she prepared a salad for Miffy of cabbage, cucumbers, and carrots. She brought Miffy's bowl to her room and saw her restlessly moving about on the bed. Jihyeon took this as a sign to lower her to the floor along with her bowl. She tentatively sniffed the bowl's contents and then began to eat. At that moment, she heard a ping from her phone. At last, Kyongju had contacted her.

 _Kyongju Lee: Sister! You're joining Yoosung's charity organisation?_

 _Kyongju Lee: He told me the whole story! He said how some weird thugs came and attacked you and how a stranger led you to Rika's flat. It sounds so cool! Like something straight out of Detective Conan!_

Ironic, she remembered just before she left thinking something similar. Both she and Kyongju loved Detective Conan as children. She even used to have fantasies about being a detective solving mysteries for her friends, saving the day with her wits, and facing against dastardly criminals like the Black Organization from the show.

But those were childhood fantasies. Now that she was a grown woman, she most certainly didn't want to go through any of that. Besides, she handled that brush with the thugs less like Conan and more like one of the series' weekly victims.

 _Jihyeon Lee: Kyongju, this isn't funny. I was so scared, I barely escaped with my life._

 _Kyongju Lee: I can't believe he didn't tell me he was working with Jumin Han… why didn't he tell me?! Friends are supposed to tell these things…_

 _Jihyeon Lee: I think he was just trying to be modest._

 _Kyongju Lee: So, what's your job?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: I don't know yet, V will explain the whole matter to me tomorrow. But they don't have an event coordinator after Rika died… if they like my CV they might give me that position._

 _Kyongju Lee: What's a CV?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Curriculum vitae._

 _Kyongju Lee: ?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: You know… a document with all your qualifications, degrees, skills, etc? The thing that companies use to assess if you're good enough for the job?_

If Kyongju didn't know what a CV was at his age, it was going to be very difficult for him to get a job. Well, their father was a government official in the education ministry, so she knew he could pull some strings. She sometimes wondered how he was the class topper since he was five and how he got into SKY University in the first place. She was glad that he wasn't eligible to take up his military service. He would have probably been kicked out of the army in less than a day. If anything, her brother was proof that exam scores did not always translate to high chances of real life success.

 _Kyongju Lee: Ohhh! Right!_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Also, Kyongju, can you please delete your texts with me? I know Mom still goes through your messages._

 _Kyongju Lee: Why? Mom already knows you got fired from E &Y… or you don't want her to know about the thugs who attacked you? _

_Jihyeon Lee: …I don't want her to worry._

 _Kyongju Lee: Don't say that! I'm sure Mom will understand it wasn't your fault…_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Kyongju? There's… something I need to request of you, please?_

 _Kyongju Lee: Okay… what is it?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Be nice to Yoosung. He's a good boy, he likes you, and he wants to help you. And you might not have noticed this, but Yoosung is in a bad place right now and is going through things. He wants to keep everything inside because he's afraid of looking weak._

 _Kyongju Lee: You mean Rika's death? It's been a year, and he's over it. He's playing games, and happy._

 _Jihyeon Lee: It's not that simple. Just because someone is smiling and playing games doesn't mean they're happy. I told you, he's keeping everything inside. Please, watch him like he's watching you, and if he's having a problem, help him._

 _Kyongju Lee: …okay. I'll try._

 _Kyongju Lee: Oh yeah. Here's the address I mentioned earlier. Sungwoo and his family want you to meet them there tomorrow at 7:00 PM:_

Jihyeon examined the link he sent her. She felt her blood go cold. They wanted her to meet them at The Marriot Hotel. And it was not far from Rika's apartment. Fancy settings made her nervous, and crowds even more so. No. Still, a meeting at a fancy hotel with her prospective husband's family would be child's play compared to an interview at C&R. Anything would be child's play compared to that.

 _Jihyeon Lee: Will Mom and Dad also be there?_

 _Kyongju Lee: Of course they will, I mean it's proper protocol to bring the in-laws as well, right?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Do you have a photo of them? I've never seen them. What if I don't recognise them?_

 _Kyongju Lee: Mom and Dad will point them out for you, silly!_

 _Jihyeon Lee: But I want to recognise them too. I'm going to be the one marrying this guy after all._

 _Kyongju Lee: Well… I have his profile from . I don't know why you never registered…_

 _Jihyeon Lee: I don't like those online marriage sites. It's easy to get cheated and lots of bad people and fakes put their profiles there. Anyways, show me the picture._

 _Kyongju Lee: Yeah, that's true. I'll send you the link…_

She clicked on the link and scanned the profile. He was a decent and modest looking young man. He had dark green wavy hair and eyes covered by rimless glasses and was quite tall, taller than her own father. He was wearing a suit and there was a blue background. It was obvious this photo was taken in a formal setting, possibly by his parents, to make a good impression when he was put on the marriage market.

She scanned his bio, which was very obviously written by his father. In fact, she doubted he even tried to hide this, given that "my son" was almost every third word. It listed his degree and qualifications. He was around 28 years old. He did his Bachelors of Computer Science in a school she didn't recognise, got an not long after, and now he was a manager in Samsung. They even gave his salary, an impressive five figure amount. He probably made triple of what she made in a month.

 _Kyongju Lee: What do you think?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: He seems like a good man._

 _Kyongju Lee: Great! So, are you going to tell them no?_

 _Jihyeon Lee: Who?_

 _Kyongju Lee: These C &R people and this RFA. I mean if you're getting married there's no need to work there. _

_Jihyeon Lee: …I have to go. I can't just leave them. And it's not like I'm going to get married tomorrow. It's not like I might even marry him at all. We don't know. In the meantime, I need to find some way to provide for myself._

 _Jihyeon Lee: Besides, Sungwoo might be okay with me working, who knows._

 _Kyongju Lee: Mom says that you're too old though. And she says that women who work are devils. And if Mom says it she must be right… so, I don't think you should tell Sungwoo you're working._

 _Jihyeon Lee: …It's late. I need to go to sleep now._

 _Kyongju Lee: Okay! Goodnight!_

It was only after she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth when she noticed it. Her nose was clogged, her eyes were red and swollen, and remnants of tear streaks were prominent on her cheeks. Did what Kyongju said- no. It came from her brother's mouth, but it was her mother's words… did it really hurt her that much?

No. No. She had to stop thinking about it. She was doing this because she had to. Yes, that was it. She didn't have to be enthusiastic about something that was expected of her. And anyways, her meeting with Sungwoo was tomorrow evening. Her interview at C&R was in the morning. She needed to deal with that first.

* * *

She took an Uber that morning to the C&R office building. It was about an hour and a half from where she lived, but she had never been to this area before. She had never been to such a huge building before, there had to have been at least twenty floors. Though then again, she had always worked in start-up companies or SMEs. C&R International was an MNC, of course it would be much larger than her previous work environments.

She wore her usual work clothes – a black knee length skirt, black stockings, a white collared shirt, a black blazer, and black shoes. It was what she wore when she was working at E&Y, so she thought she could just wear the same thing here. She wondered if this was a mistake when she saw that all the women around her were dressed the exact same way. In fact, even the men were dressed similarly. E&Y's dress code was nowhere near as strict. And its workers were nowhere near as chaotically busy. She couldn't help but be reminded of worker bees in a hive when she saw the way the employees ran about with their hands full of files.

She went to the reception desk, and told them of her appointment. A phone call later, and she was told to wait for Assistant Kang to escort her to Mr. Han's office. She took a seat in a nearby sofa, and mentally went over everything she had to say, as well as the possible questions that might be asked. She had to keep telling herself it was nothing. She had done countless job interviews before. It wasn't a big deal. If she showed she was nervous, it would be even worse. She just had to breathe, she had to calm down…

"Excuse me, Miss?"

She turned around to see a woman was standing behind her. She had boyish short hair and glasses. Jihyeon recognized her almost immediately from the chatroom yesterday.

"Good morning, my name's Jaehee Kang. I'm Mr. Han's executive assistant. Pleasure to meet you, Miss…?" she held out her hand.

"Jihyeon Lee. Pleasure to meet you." She bowed slightly and shook her hand, not too gently, not too firmly.

"Come, Miss Lee. I'll take you to Mr. Han's office."

They both took the lift to the top floor. Jihyeon tried to calm down, but couldn't. She was getting closer and closer to her ordeal. Her heart was pounding so much she could hear it. She clung to her laptop bag tightly in an attempt to disguise her fear.

"…nervous?"

She flashed her most nonchalant smile possible and reassured her this wasn't the case, but unfortunately Jaehee saw right through her.

"It's okay, you don't have to put up a brave front. In fact, I'd be deeply concerned if you weren't nervous."

She continued to smile awkwardly at Jaehee for a second, and then turned away. The lift ride was becoming much longer than it needed to be.

"If you like, I can give you some pointers."

"Oh, thank you, but you don't have to…"

"Mr. Han dislikes flattery, particularly from women. He has no patience for people who try to charm him. He likes people who are here on business and make that painfully clear."

She had never planned on flirting with him or charming him. In fact, she didn't even know how to flirt with a man in the first place. She had often seen Rika using her beauty and charming words to win over men and women alike, but that was not a skill she could pick up.

"I see."

"However, if you mention you took an interest in one of his cat projects, the chances of him accepting you into the RFA will be higher. In the same token, your chances of working here will also increase, albeit by a margin."

This was something she could use, she thought to herself. She wracked her brains trying to remember the research she did last night on both C&R and the RFA, and remembered that she did read about one or two of his vanity projects.

"And keep eye contact with him. I know this goes against what we've all been taught. But again, if you refuse to look at Mr. Han, he will assume you are being coy. Just imagine you're talking to another woman. Makes things easier."

She heard the lift come to a halt, and she followed Jaehee to a long corridor, and a room at the far end. Jaehee knocked on the door and informed Mr. Han that "the woman from yesterday's incident" was here to see him now. She heard a distant voice saying that he would be there in a minute.

"Thank you so much, Miss Kang, for your advice. It was really good advice. If Mr. Han hires me, then I owe it to you."

Jaehee turned toward her sharply and held eye contact with her for a few seconds, as though to confirm if she heard Jihyeon correctly. Her mouth was in a line, like she was trying not to smile.

"You're too kind."

She walked away, presumably to attend to her long list of duties. And then the door opened. Jihyeon's first instinct once she met those black eyes was to drop everything and run away in terror. But she held her ground and steadied her breathing. It was fine, she told herself. This was no different from any other job interview. She could do this. She had done the research. She had to stay calm.

Mr. Han couldn't have been much older than her, but she felt like a small child when faced with him. He had to have been at least six feet. He looked very much like a younger version of the chairman, with the same tousled dark brown hair and diamond shaped face. He was wearing the same black suit that she saw him wearing in his profile picture in the chatroom.

"Good morning, Miss Lee." He held out his hand. Remembering Jaehee's advice, she willed herself to make direct eye contact with him as she shook his hand. Unlike Jaehee's handshake, his was a bit too firm for her to handle, and she tried not to wince in pain as his hand almost crushed hers.

"Good morning, Mr. Han. It's a pleasure to meet you." She was hyperconscious of every word that came out of her mouth, and praying that her nervousness didn't show.

"Come inside."

She entered his office, and noticed that Jihyun was there as well, sitting at the round conference table in front of Mr. Han's office desk. She remembered that yesterday, when Jihyun had dropped her off back at her house, he kept the partition in his car up the entire time. So, she wasn't even allowed to see him after all these years. However now, she finally could.

His turquoise hair was much shorter than it used to be, but what stood out most about him was the cane propped up on the side of the wall next to him, and his sunglasses. She was staring at him aghast for who knew how long before Mr. Han's voice brought her back to reality.

"Ah, yes. I heard a great deal about you from Jihyun. He apparently knew you from college."

"Yes, that's correct, Mr. Han. He was my senior, but in a different department. I mostly knew him through Rika."

"Take a seat here, Jihyeon."

She nodded and took a seat in front of Jihyun and Mr. Han. Her heart was still pounding in her throat.

"Jihyun also told me about the situation you were in. To call this an irregularity would be a gross understatement. I have only brought you here on his word that you are trustworthy. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good. Now let us begin."

He lifted her resume up and began going through its details.

"So… you completed your Bachelors in Corporate Secretaryship from Daejin University with a 3.3 CGPA out of 5. And you did your in Hanyang University, graduating with a 2.5 CGPA out of 5."

"Yes."

"Hmm… it says here you've been working while studying for your master's program, which explains the dip in performance. Could you tell me a little bit about your work experience at E&Y?"

"It was till date the most valuable work experience I have had. I learned a great deal working there about how to deal with people."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"I was working in the marketing department under the guidance of Manager Jungmin Seo. We have put together several ad campaigns for E&Y's various educational institutions and the like. I also played a role in designing our recruitment campaign for university students."

"You didn't answer my question. I asked you about how you learned how to deal with people. Not about what you did at your former workplace."

"Forgive me, I misunderstood the question."

She took a big swig of water from the glass next to her and cleared her throat.

"My work experience at E&Y taught me the importance of collaboration and teamwork to put together something meaningful and reach out to the public at large. I also learned how to attract people to the ideas and fundamental message proposed by E&Y, and how to deliver these promises through action."

"That is something you will need if you are going to work as the RFA's event coordinator, and if you plan to work here, you will need this even more."

"Yes, that's true, sir."

He was scanning her resume again. She fixated on his face, hoping to figure out what he was thinking. However, his expression was perfectly neutral even after she answered every one of his questions.

"Stop trying to read my mind. If I feel a certain way about your performance, I will tell you."

Yoosung was right. Mr. Han pulled no punches whatsoever, and had absolutely no fear of saying how he felt. Even if those words could potentially hurt.

"My apologies, sir."

"To be honest with you, these credentials are far from bad, but we cannot call them good either. But after witnessing one too many disappointing 5.0 graduates who couldn't even answer a simple interview question, I have no choice but to give you the benefit of the doubt."

She found herself inclined to agree with him, both about his assessment of her university performance and his remark about supposed class toppers. After all, her brother was one.

"I understand, sir."

"Now, enough about you. Let's get to the crux of this interview. Jihyun told me that Rika never mentioned the RFA to you, is that correct?"

"No, sir. I mean, it's correct that she didn't mention it to me, sir."

"But you did do further research prior to this interview, did you not?"

"Yes sir."

"…and? I don't need to explain what you should do next."

She took another deep breath, and finished off the last of the water before beginning her explanation.

"Rika created this organization to regularly host charity events. You have fundraising parties bi-annually. It's a fairly new organization, only four years old. Among some of the guests who have attended are actors, film directors, human rights associates, etc."

"If I will be taking the role of event coordinator in Rika's stead, I will be tasked with finding potential guests and keeping regular contact with them. I will also have to take care of arrangements such as venue, catering, and decoration to ensure a successful event."

She furrowed her brows, and remembered Jaehee's advice again. Now looked like a good time to put it into practice again.

"I have also been told that C&R has played a crucial role in these events. For instance, your line of GPS-fitted cat collars was promoted at the last party in… 2014 December, I believe."

"2014 June."

"Yes, I was mistaken. 2014 June."

"I was testing you, Miss Lee. You were right, the GPS-fitted collars were unveiled in December of two years ago."

Why? Why was she so unsure of her own answer that she changed her mind the moment he corrected her? Now she had gone and done it. She had let yet another job opportunity slip through her fingers…

"…I see. Forgive me, sir."

"I pray that you'll be less of a doormat around our potential guests."

She clenched her fists in her lap and braced herself for the inevitable. The verbal lashings, the insults, the raging…

"I'm sorry- I mean… of course not, sir."

"Hmm… I will give you this much, I see some intelligence and potential in you. But only time will tell if you will live up to our expectations. Starting tomorrow you will be RFA's new event coordinator."

The tension had dissipated almost instantly at that moment. She sighed with relief. She didn't even think there would be a chance of success earlier. Her face, which was earlier grey with fear and humiliation, was now bright and determined.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity, Mr. Han. I will do my best in the role I have to play for you, as I would do for any."

"That's a good attitude. Now, have you brought your laptop with you?"

"Yes, I have." She placed her laptop bag on the table and removed the computer from inside.

"Here, this is your user ID for the official RFA website. You must input your biodata into your account, then check your messenger app, everything will be updated once you filled it in. Also, here. You will need to sign these." He handed her an application form with an ID number, as well as a four page contract.

"I will, thank you."

Suddenly, Jihyun, who for so long had been silent, turned to his friend.

"Jumin, would you please leave the room right now? I want to speak with Jihyeon alone." She had almost forgotten that it had been four years since they spoke. And almost forgot about his sudden visual impairment.

"All right, go ahead and catch up." Mr. Han nodded as he made his way to the door.

"Don't worry, I won't be long."

Jihyeon heard the door slam shut behind her. When she was alone in the room with her old college friend, she didn't know what to feel or think. How could they ever reconcile after the incident, after the last time they ever spoke?

"…how have you been?" She asked awkwardly.

"I've been better to be honest."

She stared him up and down, still unable to process that it was still the same old Jihyun in front of her.

" _I'm sorry…! I'm sorry! I… I failed. I promised… I made a promise to her and now I…"_

" _I know, Jihyun. I know."_

" _Why am I even saying these things? How could I even talk this way about the love of my life, my sun, Rika…"_

" _Don't worry. I'll be there for you. Please, take some comfort in knowing you aren't alone in this. We're both going through the same pain, and we'll both take each other out of it."_

" _Don't worry any longer… I'll help you."_

Some help she had been. In the end, two people paid the price for her cowardice and selfishness.

"Your eyes…"

"I had an injury recently. Please, don't worry about me. Jumin… gave you these papers to sign but… he doesn't know this, and nobody else does either. An addendum is required for you specifically. Here."

Jihyeon read through the contents of the paper that Jihyun had given her. Initially she didn't understand why she was being given an additional document, or why she needed to be spoken to alone. But once she finished reading the nondisclosure agreement, everything became clear.

"So, I was right, then. It wasn't just a coincidence."

"Pardon?"

"Jihyun… what… what happened to Saeyoung? Who did this to him?"

"…I'm sorry. I don't know." His voice was flat, as though he was simply stating a fact.

"And what about Saeran? I've heard nothing from him, it's like he vanished without a trace…"

"If I don't know about Saeyoung, you can't expect me to know about Saeran either."

"Do they know about me?"

"I can't speak for Saeran, but Saeyoung did know you when he saw you. He probably already did a background check on you by now, despite my telling him not to."

Though she only knew Saeyoung and Saeran for a short period, they were still her family. And here she was, in the dark about people she was supposed to protect. Here she was, being barred from speaking with them… all to shield them from some awful truth.

And it was well worth it. It was better for her cousins to remain innocent. She had done the same with her brother. She did the same with almost everyone in her life. Two more people wouldn't make that much of a difference.

"Just sign it. I won't allow you to join the RFA otherwise."

She hesitated for a moment, but gave her signature.

"Remember Miss Lee. Remember what you know, and what they don't. Be tactful in your words and actions… for their sake."

" _We're both going through the same pain. Don't worry any longer. I'll help you…"_

She had to bring it up. Jihyun must have hated her, resented her. Anyone would, after all that happened…

"…I'm sorry I let Rika down. All said and done… she was still my best friend. It was my duty to take care of her and I…"

"Don't blame yourself. None of it was your fault."


End file.
